Thanks for checking out my review of the Carolina Panthers 33-20 win over the Washington Redskins. This was the Panthers second win this season and much needed as their fans were getting restless.

Cam Newton played his best game as a pro in my opinion. No he didn’t put up 400 passing yards, he played well and won. Cam Newton completed 18 of 23 passes for 256 yards with one touchdown pass and no turnovers. As a matter of fact the Panthers did not turn the ball over while the Redskins did three times. Those turnovers were why the Panthers won the game despite the large number of penalties the team committed. The Panthers had 13 penalties for 105 yards.

The Panthers continue to improve their running game which takes pressure off of Cam Newton. DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Newton combined for 162 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Despite everyone in Bank of America stadium knowing Steve Smith is the best wideout, he still got open enough to catch seven passes for 143 yards. Shockey caught four passes while LaFell and Naanee combined for seven catches and a touchdown by LaFell.

I had feared Torain but it was former Cardinal Tim Hightower that ran the ball often against the Panthers. Hightower ran for 88 yards before a knee injury took him out of the game.Washington also lost Santana Moss early to a broken hand. I thought John Beck played well despite a good bit of pressure by the Panthers.

James Anderson played like his mother had been insulted by the Redskins!Anderson had 10 solo tackles, two assists and one sack. Applewhite is a great find for the Panthers and had three tackles, two assists and one sack. Middle linebacker Conner had a nice game as well with eight tackles and two assists.

The Panthers won the rushing battle with 175 yards compared to only 92 by the Redskins. Even in today’s pass happy NFL this is a good thing with rookie quarterback Cam Newton at the helm.

The win over a decent Redskins team leaves the Panthers knowing they can beat teams. The problem is that Carolina plays down to their competition sometimes and future games against “weak” teams could be a trap game for them.  Feel free to subscribe to this blog for my reviews and previews of every Carolina Panthers game this season.

Thanks for reading my preview of the Washington Redskins at the Carolina Panthers game. Since I blog about the Carolina Panthers this will mostly be showing the keys for the team to beat the Redskins.

For the Carolina Panthers to defeat the Washington Redskins then the run defense must improve. John Beck is making his first start of the year after Rex Grossman was benched. Coach Mike Shanahan loves to run the ball anyway and will try to do so to take pressure off of John Beck.

Washington Redskins running back Ryan Torain is having a good season and is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Former Arizona Cardinal Tim Hightower is also a solid runner when healthy for the Redskins.

In this case the best defense is a good offense. The Carolina Panthers must strike fast and get a lead to keep the Skins from running all day. The Washington Redskins do have a nice defense but Cam Newton and company can pass on anyone.

Now that Cam Newton has six starts under his belt, teams are figuring him out. So for the Carolina Panthers to beat the Redskins, Carolina must run the ball better. Even with film on Cam Newton defenses must still respect DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart if they are playing well.

Byron Bell must improve now that he has replaced Jeff Otah who went on injured reserve. The Panthers have enough quality linemen to overcomeBell’s inexperience but they all must cut down on the penalties.

The Panthers defense must try to get pressure on John Beck and wrap up when tackling Torain. If the Panthers defense can force a couple of turnovers I feel Carolina will beat Washington.

The Panthers must find some way to improve their special teams as they are pretty bad. The return teams could use a boost and the coverage teams need to tackle better. I feel the poor special teams play is a product of the NFL lockout and a lack of practice before the season.

I am predicting a victory by the Carolina Panthers over the Washington Redskins. I think the overall talent is better in Carolina and that the team is tired of losing. Cam Newton needs a win so Ron Rivera won’t call him “Mr. Mopey Head” again.